mattersLUNCH

NYCHSF - Changing how schools feed kids

THE BEST GIFT OF ALL: HEALTHYour gift means we can continue our

important programs – and reach more

children with inspiring nutrition

education and better food!

Donate at healthyschoolfood.org

Or send a check to NYCHSF at:

POB 737, Mamaroneck, NY 10543

Federal and NYC employees

can donate through the

Combined Federal Campaign.

CFC# 75597

WINTER2013/2014NEWSLETTER

REAL FOOD STRONG KIDS BETTER PLANET

Dear Friends, What an incredible year! In April we announced that PS244, a public school in Queens, adopted a vegetarian menu at our suggestion and facilitation. This made history as the first public non-charter school in the nation - garnering international press and excitement! Read more about this amazing school inside! On a broader basis, we are working in partnership with the NYC Office of SchoolFood on their alternative menu. This menu is less processed and offers plant-based options. We have helped twenty-four schools implement this progressive menu. We also continue to meet with the top level administrators to discuss healthy changes to the standard menu so that our program will have an effect not just on a limited number of schools, but nearly all schools in New York City! This fall we presented to all of the SchoolFood Regional Directors and Supervisors, who oversee the cafeterias in all 1700 New York City schools. We had very positive feedback, and with this information, SchoolFood professionals better understand our focus on plant-based foods, which supports the great work they are doing. Our Food UnEarthed: Uncovering the Truth About Food Curriculum is now active in five schools and is taught to more than 500 students every week. In addition we are planning cooking classes for parents and a Visiting Vegan Chef program at Food and Finance High School. In other parts of the state, we conducted a Culinary Camp this summer to teach the cooks at the thirteen schools in the Williamsville Central School District to prepare plant-based entrees. We continue our Cool School Food program in Ithaca, where our focus this year is menuing and marketing. Our plant based entrees are on the menu each Thursday. In a culture where many children do not eat homemade meals and where the food industry plays a large role in dictating food policy, and therefore what children learn about nutrition, your support is more important than ever and helps us to continue these important programs.

Sincerely,Joy Pierson and Lisa Suriano,Co-chairs, Board of Directors

All 7 Whole Foods Market stores in Manhattan will give 5% of sales on January 9th to the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food. This will help us immensely. THANK YOU WHOLE FOODS MARKETS! Please plan to do a BIG shopping on the 9th!

5% DAY AT WHOLE FOODS MARKETS THURSDAY JANUARY 9th - PLAN TO SHOP

OUR MISSIONNYCHSF introduces plant-based foods and nutrition education in schools to educate the whole school community.

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT:Ellie Pohl is a force to be reckoned with! As a student at Parsons, she did all of our graphics for our spring art show and also for our fall gala, two huge tasks! Furthermore, at each event she pitched in and helped with setup and running the events like a pro. A future event planner with a strong work ethic, she managed full time school and these huge jobs at the same time, very professionally. She has also volunteered at a Family Dinner Night. With patience, persistence, and dedication to our cause, we feel very lucky to have Ellie as a volunteer.Ellie Pohl

FAMILY DINNER NIGHT AT PS244

COOL SCHOOL FOODRECIPES DISTRIBUTEDTO 25,000 SCHOOLSACROSS THE COUNTRY!

This past spring we held a Family Dinner Night at PS244, our vegetarian school in Queens. Dinner was provided by the NYC Office of SchoolFood. About 200 students and parents attended the event, which consisted of a free dinner and hands on learning activities about plant-based proteins, whole grains, sodium, sugar, and a non-dairy milk tasting. While offering healthy food and education is important in schools, it is also very important to educate the families as well. That is the purpose of our Family Dinner Nights. We celebrated the schools switch to an all vegetarian menu. The families all cheered to the fact that they are the first public, non-charter school in the country to adopt a vegetarian menu.

Our recipes have now been distributed to 25,000 schools across the country. This includes distribution by Alliance for a Healthier Generation and also the State of California. Our recipes feature plant-based proteins. Even though protein is not a nutrient of concern in this country, it is a required component of the USDA meal program. We focus on legume recipes (including tofu) as a healthy option to meat and cheese, since nutrition policy in this country recommends less cholesterol and saturated fat, and more fiber.

Learning at Family Dinner Night

The Whole Enchilada with Shredded Butternut Squash

FEEL GOOD FOOD CARDSWe are very proud of our new educational resource that will be available to schools starting in February which teaches 5 interesting facts about each vegetable, fruit, and bean.

BOARD MEMBERSJoy Pierson - Board Co-Chair

Lisa Suriano - Board Co-Chair

Amie Hamlin - Executive Director

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Kelley Wind

TEACHER: Tashya Knight

COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Leigh Gage

TREASURER: Brad Goldberg

ADVISORY BOARD

Kate Adamick, JD Foods Systems Consultant, School Food Advocate

T. Colin Campbell, PhD Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell

University, Author, The China Study

Jayni Chase Founder, Center for Environmental Education

Ann Cooper The Renegade Lunch Lady, author, Lunch Lessons

Fran Costigan Vegan Pastry Chef Instructor, Author, More Great Good

Dairy Free Desserts Naturally

Antonia Demas, PhD Author, Food is Elementary Curriculum

Joel Fuhrman, MD Author, Disease Proof Your Child and Eat to Live

Pat Hysert Vice President, NYS PTA

Suzanne Havala Hobbs, RD, PhD Author, professor at UNC Chapel Hill

Alex Jamieson Author, Great American Detox Diet

Jenny Matthau Food & Wellness Educator

Tracye McQuirter, MPH Author of By Any Greens Necessary: A Revolutionary Guide for Black Women Who Want to Eat Great, Get

Healthy, Lose Weight, and Look Phat

Mehmet Oz, MD Director, Cardiovascular Institute, Columbia University

Christine Wallace Consultant: Good Food, Fun Food, a School Food Service

consulting company, specializing in $ .06 Certification process, menu improvement and Smarter Lunchroom Initiatives;

former Food Service Director

Audrie GersteinMarilyn Mayers

Mary MaxYoli Ouiya

Bart PotenzaBeth Reed

Henry RinehartDinneen Viggiano

DONATE ONLINE AThealthyschoolfood.org

Carrot

www.healthyschoolfood.org

Carrot1. If you think carrots are always orange, here’s a surprise: there are

purple, red, white, and yellow carrots, too!

2. When you eat a carrot, you’re eating the root of the plant, which

grows underground. The carrot-top, which grows above ground,

looks a little like parsley. 3. The peeled “baby carrots” you can buy at the store aren’t really

baby carrots. They’re large carrots that are put through a machine,

chopped into two-inch pieces, with the ends rounded off. Just like big

carrots, they make a great snack!

4. The phyto (plant) nutrient that makes carrots orange is called

carotene! Carotene is in many fruits and vegetables, and

research shows that people who eat the most fruits and vegetables

are judged to have the healthiest looking skin, also called

a “healthy glow”. Other excellent carotene sources: sweet

potatoes, cantaloupe, mango, and apricots. So eat some

natural orange-yellow colors every day!

5. If a person eats a huge amount of orange vegetables such as

carrots, the carotene will show in their skin and their skin may look a

little orange. It is not permanent and it is not dangerous.

CONGRATULATIONS TO PS244 FOR BECOMING THE 1ST PUBLIC (NON-CHARTER) VEGETARIAN SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY!One of the schools the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food works with, PS244, has achieved a first! We worked together with them and the NYC Office of SchoolFood to adopt a vegetarian menu. The lunch menu has been in place since September of 2012, and in January of 2013 the breakfast menu also became vegetarian. With the outstanding support of principal Robert Groff, Director of Wellness Christian Alberto Ledesma, other staff, and the entire SchoolFood team, the transition was nearly flawless, with students, parents, teachers and staff embracing the new menu. The school, also known as The Active Learning School (TALES) makes health, in addition to strong academics, the focus of its

mission. While we can’t prove a direct cause and effect, the school scored #11 in the state on standardized test scores, unusual give the high number of English language learners and lack of a gifted program. In addition, the students’ BMI scores are down, a desirable outcome, since BMI’s measure a weight/height ratio. It truly does take a Village, even in New York City, home of the largest school food service operation in the country. We were featured in the media across the country, and in Canada, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, and more! It was exciting that a former volunteer for our program who now lives in Taiwan, spotted it on the front page of a newspaper in Taiwan, took a picture, and sent it to us!

FALL GALAEvery year our Fall Gala is an opportunity for supporters to come and learn more about what we are doing, and be treated to the best food that the New York City Metro area has to offer! Attendees are always amazed at our event. All food and beverages were generously donated, as was the lovely jazz by Bob Miles and Miles of Music. This year our co-hosts were Victoria Moran and Robert Ostfeld, MD. We had special help from Ellie Pohl who took care of all the graphics and more, Jenny Matthau who helped with organizing, and Gabrielle St. Claire for her work on the Silent Auction. Thank you to all who made the evening a success!

Restaurants, caterers, food companies, and beverages included: American Bean Products, Angelica Kitchen, Candle 79, Candle Cafe, & Candle Cafe West, Chef Laura Dardi, Mediterranean Gyros Products, DF Mavens, Franchia, Fran Costigan, Fruit Bliss, Henry’s, iEat Green, Jay Astafa Catering, Kat’s Kookies, National Kale Day, Rama Sushi, Regal Vegan, Suite ThreeOhSix, Taft Foodmasters, Terri, Treeline Cheese, V-Spot, Veggiecation, Ayala’s Herbal Water, D’Vida Health Bar, Greenhook Ginsmiths, Lakewood Juice, Pure Food & Wine, Q Tonic, TumericALIVE, Verity Wine Partners, and Wolaver’s Organic Brewing.

Silent Auction items were provided by: Grandstand Sports (Auction Company), 22 Days of Nutrition, Bambike Revolution Cycles, Bob’s Red Mill, Candle Cafe, Candle 79, and Candle Cafe West, Chloé Joe Davis, Crossroads Restaurant in LA, Dancing Brush, Dave’s Woodworking, Dirty Librarian Chains, Dr. Mark Berman, MD, Earth Friendly Products, Fran Costigan Gift Basket, Fruit Bliss, Ginger People, Jivamukti Yoga, Joel Fuhrman, MD, Juice Beauty, Leonid Kuzenny Prints, Marilyn Mayers, Love Grace Juice, Magic Mix Juicery, Marty Davey, RD, Matt and Nat, Mrs. Meyers, Natural Gourmet Institute, Nava Atlas, NibMor, Nutiva, NYL Skincare, One Lucky Duck, Peter Max, Plum Creek Design, Rebecca Casciano, Rosie’s Garlic, Sacred Currents, Judith Wendell, Sean Kennedy Glass, Stick & Stone Farm, Six Circles Farm, The Cinnamon Snail, Tierra Farms, Vaute Couture, Veggie Gourmet, Mimi Clark, Vitamix, Woodstock Animal Sanctuary, and YogaWorks.

Gift bags provided by: Whole Foods Market (Gift Bags), Amrita Health Bars, Amy’s Kitchen, Angie’s Popcorn, Beanfield’s Chips, Beyond Meat, Bob’s Red Mill, Brad’s Raw Foods,BumbleBar, EcoJarz, Emmy’s Organics, gimMe Health Foods, Hail Merry, Health Warrior Bars, HURRAW!, Justin’s, Meow Meow Tweet, Michy’s, NuTru, Nuwi, Priti NYC, Rawxies, Simply Straws, Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates, So Delicious, St. Martin’s Press and Moosewood Restaurant, Story Laurie, Sunshine Burger, The Vegetarian Resource Group, Vega, Vegan Guide to New York City, VegNews Magazine, YogaWorks

Thanks to the volunteers who helped, with special thanks to Rick Marquardt, Grant Siefman, and others from Whole Foods Market.

Chancellor Walcott asking students if they like vegetarian lunches

Chancellor enjoying lunch with students

Shavonne from Candle Cafe West

Fruit Bliss, one of our corporate sponsors

Henry’s Restaurant crew

ART WITH A PURPOSEThis Art show was curated and organized by Sheryl Renee Dobson, our very special friend and former board member. Held at the Rush Art Gallery in Chelsea, the show featured works that were donated to benefit Healthy School Food. The show was very successful, however we do have some pieces still available for sale. All pieces are beautifully framed, except the Obama Portrait, which is on canvas. If you would like to read the curatorial statement, watch a video from the show, or look at images from the show, see: http://www.healthyschoolfood.org/events_arts.htm. If you are interested in any of the pieces below, please contact Executive Director Amie Hamlin at 607-272-1154 or amie@healthyschoolfood.org.

Left:Frank Muller, Great Egret

Right: Sue Coe, DurocPigs

Left:Peter Max, Love

Far Left:Peter Max, Self Portrait (vintage poster)

Top right:Lauren Roth, We Are

Above:Peter Max, Obama Portrait

FOOD UnEarthed:UNCOVERING THE TRUTH ABOUT FOODTHE CURRICULUM IN 5 SCHOOLS THIS YEAR:

THE CURRICULUM:

THE STUDENTS:

In our second year of Food UnEarthed, we are teaching 5 schools, including one in the South Bronx, one in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and three in Manhattan (two in Harlem and one in Chelsea). We kicked off the Food Unearthed curriculum with concert presentations showcasing musician Jay Mankita and his Eat Like A Rainbow album. This was a fun opportunity to introduce ourselves to the entire school community and publicize the healthier options served for lunch. Every week, our teacher Ms. Knight reports back that more and more of her students are trying the vegetarian chili, falafels, and roasted chickpeas with whole grain pasta now on their menus. In the classroom, we are incorporating more lessons devoted entirely to preparing food. Before making guacamole, most students could not identify an avocado. Working in groups, they chopped onions and tomatoes, crushed garlic and squeezed lemons. They were so proud of the delicious guacamole they made, many hoped they could take it home with them! For the next food-making lesson, we will invite parents in the classroom to share the pleasure of preparing food with their kids.

Our curriculum consists of 30 lesson plans that are taught weekly to third, fourth, and fifth graders. Each lesson plan is accompanied by a healthy snack. Snacks include green smoothies, the sweet beet and the big apple show down. We focus on teaching the benefits of whole plant foods, media literacy, food politics, food and the environment, and how to be a critical thinker, with the emphasis on being a detective and uncovering the truth about food. Lessons include making guacamole and eating it with rice and beans. Student and parent questionnaires are administered at the beginning and end of the program to measure our success in increasing knowledge of food and nutrition and consumption of healthier foods, both at school and home.

Our schools are all in very high need areas, and almost all students qualify for free meals. The students and their teachers are really excited about us coming into their classrooms every week. They love trying new foods and learning about nutrition. They seem truly interested in what they are learning and it has resulted in much discussion that shows us the students truly are “Uncovering the truth about food”!

THE TEACHER:Tashya Knight is our teacher and this is her second year teaching Food UnEarthed. Ms. Knight is continuing to develop the curriculum along with Executive Director Amie Hamlin and with the assistance of Board member Beth Reed.

In the summer, Food Service Director Kathy Christopher invited us to conduct a Culinary Camp for the cooks from the 13 Williamsville Schools. Chef Sean Lunny, who works with us as part of the Ithaca Cool School Food program, and Executive Director Amie Hamlin headed to Williamsville for a day of fun learning. Together with the amazing school cooks, we made some of our signature recipes, including “The Whole Enchilada”, “Happy Burgers”, “Golden Chinese Croquettes” (created by Chef Wynnie Stein from Moosewood Restaurant), Tofu Berry Parfait, Kale Chips, and dressings for American Bean Product’s Falafels. After making the food, we all sat down to a delicious lunch, and some of the school administrators, who were very impressed, joined us as well.

CULINARY CAMP FOR SCHOOL COOKS

Making guacamole with Food UnEarthed

OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNER: VEGGIECATION

In addition to our Food UnEarthed Curriculum, our students also benefit from our Educational Partner, Veggiecation, who provides posters and activities for our students. Thanks Veggiecation! Veggiecation at our gala

Donate at healthyschoolfood.org Or send check to NYCHSF at: POB 737, Mamaroneck, NY 10543For more information, contact Amie Hamlin at 607-272-1154

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NEW YORK COALITION FOR HEALTHY SCHOOL FOOD IS CERTIFIED BY INDEPENDENT CHARITIES OF AMERICA.